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Sunday, April 10, 2011

Cobwebs and Clutter...

You know those little piles of "stuff"? Stuff like junk mail, and coupons, school papers, magazines, drawings the kids have made, bills, birthday invites, more bills...the list is endless. Well, when the little piles turn into big piles and take up the kitchen counter space, the top of the microwave, the top of the refrigerator, the computer desk, the three junk drawers(yes, I have 3 junk drawers-it's on my to-do list), I start to get a little panicky. OK, a LOT panicky. Yesterday afternoon, everywhere I looked, there was a pile...my heart started to race a bit, my jaw became clenched, and I just COULDN'T BREATHE! I had to clean the clutter, and it couldn't wait. I can't stand to look around and see NO OPEN SPACES! I'm totally ok with a few things here and there, but it's like my kitchen floor, if there's crap on it, it must be swept.

I usually spend Saturday afternoons hangin' with the kids, doing something fun, or just watching a movie. Oh how I wanted to just sit and watch a movie, but I wanted to BREATHE even more. I put Kate down for a nap, and started clearing the clutter with a vengeance. I started with the kitchen counters, (oh, and did I mention the kitchen table was even littered with crap?); with every piece of paper I threw away, my jaw became more relaxed. When my entire kitchen counter (and top of the microwave and refrigerator) were clear, my breathing became more even. I was a woman on a mission, and I was not stopping until the clutter was cleared. Sure I may have shoved a few things in a closet(but if I can't see it, it's not cluttered). I sorted the coupons, and threw away the expired ones. I sorted school papers, and kept the important ones. I sorted magazines, and found I have too many subscriptions. I put all the shoes in the closet, and all the coats on hangers. I dusted(something I distinctly remember doing in January-please don't judge). I even took my new broom and cleared some cobwebs from the ceilings. Two hours later...I was BREATHING...without heart palpitations, without a clenched jaw, and with a renewed calmness knowing I had wide open spaces again.

And then I did something supremely selfish...I went for a run. OUTSIDE!! My first run outdoors(minus the Frigid 5-K I ran in March). It was WARM. It was GORGEOUS. The only thing missing from the equation was the sun(and I soooo need the sun right now). My body craves the sun like it craves coffee in the morning. The skies have been gray and dreary for quite a few days, but no matter, I was finally free...free from the hamster wheel of the treadmill; free from the electronic timer of the distance run, and the time logged, and the exact pace, and the goofy people 5 inches from me on another treadmill. My "treadmill legs" soon turned to "street legs" and took off...on a pace unknown, on a distance(somewhat known), and all by my loner self, which is exactly how I like my runs to be.

And suddenly, the cobwebs were cleared from my mind.

I came home a rejuvenated soul...with a smile on my face...and dirt on my shoes...just the way I like them.

I give you credit for doing treadmill running all winter. I could never do it. I got out a few times this winter for some short runs. And I can totally relate with the clutter. I try not to let it build up because it bugs me so much. But busy lives often lead to clutter. Way to go!